Art reflection

1. What were you expectations for this course and where they met?

Coming into this class I knew little about art in general. My expectations were to develop a better understanding aspects of art and how to analyze art. In addition, I wanted to familiarize myself with specific artists and popular artwork. I feel this course exceeded my expectations.

2. Now that you've been through this course, What is art? How would you define it now compared to your initial posting?

I agree with my initial understanding of art. I believe art could be anything. Art is everywhere, on billboards, street signs, and on clothing. In addition, art is anything that draws feeling or emotional attachment to a piece. 

3. Who was your favorite artist in your original posting and who is your favorite visual artist now? If there is a difference, why do you think so? If you have the same favorite artist, why do you think so?

My favorite artist in my original posting was Vincent van Gogh. I think this is because of unique style and how he uses color in his pieces. Although he is still my favorite, I have learn and enjoy the works of Claude Monet. 

4. Now that you've completed this course, how do you feel about taking an online course? Is your answer the same as it was in your first posting? How is it the same or different?

This was my first online course, along with three others this semester. I think online courses are too much work and would rather take a traditional course. I feel there is more interaction in a traditional course. 

Portrait

1. Why did you select the inspiration pieces?

I visited the Albright Knox Art gallery to find inspiration for designing a self portrait. The three portraits that I selected were Frida Kahlo’s Self Portrait with Monkey, Jacques Louis Davis’s Portrait of Jacques-Francois Desmaisons, and the Mona Lisa (not at the gallery). I selected Frida Kahlo’s Self Portrait with Monke because I liked the theme of nature in the portrait. They monkey and the vegetation in contrast with the color scheme was quite interesting. In contrast I thought Jacques Louis Davis’s Portrait of Jacques-Francois Desmaisons was quite the opposite. The man is more formally dress sitting at his desk. Although the Mona Lisa was not at the gallery, I have always found this portrait to be quite amazing. I especially enjoy the “mystery” involved in this piece. In compilation of these pieces, I tried to emphasize such elements in my portrait.

2. Why did you select the media to create your self-portrait?


I decided to use drawing paper and pencil as a medium for this piece.  I thought pencil would allow me to create shades and details to the portrait.

3. What challenges did you face in creating your self-portrait and how did you overcome them?


The most difficult part of the portrait was creating the nose. After trying over and over, I made three circles and erased the areas to make it look like a nose. I then shaded in some areas to add detail.

4. How does this piece represent you?


This piece makes me appear young and casual. It is not a formal or serious portrait.

5. What elements and principles of art did you apply in this work?


In regards to the elements and principles, lines, texture and shapes were the most abundant.  Lines were used to creature texture and depth to the piece. Shapes were used to create the eyes and nose.

6. Did you enjoy working on this project?


I thought this was an exciting assignment.

7. What do you think of your final artwork?

I was surprised at how well my portrait came out. I think it looks somewhat like me.

Sport Stock Review

1. Which projects did you review?


Sport Stock by Cody Torpey

2. Why did you select the Exhibit you critiqued?


I selected this Exhibit because I enjoy sports and thought it would be interesting to experience such sports through art.

3. What challenges did you face in writing the critique article and how did you overcome them?


Some challenges of this assignment were analyzing each work of art and form a critique about them. I tried to overcome this by developing a feeling towards a piece that could be used to develop a critique.

4. How do you feel about critiquing your peers work?


I thought it was interesting critiquing classmates work. I think it is exciting that everyone has his or her own interests for creating a specific curator. That is what made this exciting. 

5. Would you like to read the critique your peers wrote about your Art Curation Project?


I think we should be able to read the critique of our projects. It would lend insight and feedback to our work. 

6. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your finished article and why?


I would rank my article a 9 because I thought I put a solid effort into this assignment. In addition, I thought I did a good job analyzing and critiquing the exhibit. 

7. Did you enjoy working on this project?
 
I thought this assignment was quite valuable. It taught me how to actually critique art. This could not have been from a typical reading assignment. 

Video Reviews APRIL 22, 2011

In this blog I will review the following movies:

Greenberg on Art Criticism: An Interview by T. J. Clark

In this video, T.J. Clark interviews Clement Greenberg.  The video gives an understanding of how Greenberg views art criticism. More specifically, he reflects on his view of value judgments in criticism, and lends an insight into the connection between art and history. I thought this video was insightful and gave a different perspective on art criticism. I was especially influenced how art has change throughout Greenberg’s years.

Greenberg on Pollock: An Interview by T. J. Clark

 This video had a similar format to the previous video. Instead of focusing on art criticism, the Greenberg critiques Jackson Pollock. Although Greenberg expresses Pollock as an outsider, he admires him for his practical approach. I thought this video was rather interesting because he shows how one critiques other artwork. In addition, Greenberg has an insightful opinion of Pollock and his work.

An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance (Giorgio Vasari)

The next video I watched was An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance (Giorgio Vasari). In regards to the video, the video shows how the Italian Renaissance was developed through innovations of other artists. An artist would develop a technique and that technique would build upon by future artists. This video was one of my favorites because of its reference to the Italian Renaissance. More specifically, this video critiques the works of Donatello, Leonardo, and Michelangelo. This video widened my knowledge of art from this specific era.

The Critics: Stories from the Inside Pages

After watching An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance (Giorgio Vasari) I watched The Critics: Stories from the Inside Pages. This video looks at the relationship between art criticism and society. Dr. Dwight DeWerth-Pallmeye interviews many well-known media critiques and tries to connect their responses with art criticism. After watching this video, I gained a different perspective of art criticism. This video was my favorite out of the group.

The Colonial Encounter: Views of Non-Western Art and Culture

The next video I watched was Culture. This video looks at views on art from different parts of the world. More specifically, it takes the art from the world fair and looks at how Western people criticize such non-western art. This video does offer valuable knowledge about art criticism, I thought the video was quite dry and boring.

Jackson Pollock: Michael Fried and T. J. Clark in Conversation

The last video that I watched was Jackson Pollock: Michael Fried and T. J. Clark in Conversation. T.J Clark debates the aesthetic views of Michael Fried by studying the works of Pollock. This video is significant to the concepts of art criticism because it shows how people can analyze work in different ways. In addition, it shows us how two people can develop different opinions about a work of art simply by critiquing it a specific way. This video offered valuable insight into the word of art criticism. 

Art Exhibit

This project took a great deal of time to put together. I first gathered the works of art that were to be included into my exhibit. I then uploaded the pictures to the exhibit and began analyzing them. The most difficult portion of this project was finding and choosing excellent works of art for the exhibit. I tried to included different aspects of nature in the exhibit. Such aspects include valleys, mountain ranges, human interaction with nature, animals, and bodies of water. I believe I did an excellent job analyzing and interpreting the art in my exhibit.

VIDEO REVIEWS APRIL 22, 2011

For this blog entry, I selected to review Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the ‘50s and ‘60s, Hockney on Photography, and Andy Warhol: Images of an Image.  I chose these videos to better widen my knowledge on these specific topics. I am mostly interested in learning more about expressionism during the ‘50s and ’60s.

The first video I watched was Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the ‘50s and ‘60s.  The video examines the expressionist art of both America and European influence. The program examines work from this movement such as Andy Warhol’s The Texan: Portrait of Robert Rauschenberg and Helen Frankenthaler’s Mountains and Sea. This video does an excellent job adding depth to the material offered in the book.

Hockney on Photography was quite interesting. I selected this video because I am interested in photography and how photography evolved throughout the 20^th century. This video does an excellent job explaining how Hockney implemented his painting skills with photography. It also shows how Hockney’s photographs developed over time.

Andy Warhol: Images of an Image was my favorite video of the following. I wanted to learn more about Warhol after seeing his 100 Cans at the Albright Knox Gallery. This video takes a look at the Pop Act and Warhol’s Ten Lizes. This video compliments the book well, as it adds another perspective to the material.

Overall, these videos were quite interesting. In addition, they did an excellent job providing better understanding of the material.

Project Art Gallery

For this project, I chose to go to the Albright Knox Gallery. After walking through the gallery, I was especially intrigued with the Piccasso exibit. The Picasso exhibit is a collection of the works of Picasso, Braque, Leger, and Delaunay. The exhibit was shaped in a rectangular room. The white painted room, guided the viewer from corner to corner around the room.

1.) Pablo Picasso. Bacchanale. Linocut on paper. 1957

I thought Bacchanale was very interesting because of the lines and color scheme. It looks like people are sitting on a hillside, looking across a body of water. The hills and body of water reminds me of a setting in the Mediterranean.  Although I did not have a significant reaction to the piece, the Bacchanale reminds of a happy and warm summer night.

Principles and Elements: Picasso uses lines, color, and shape in this piece. The color really enhances the mood of the piece.

2.) Claude Monet. Chemin de Halage a Argenteuil. Oil on Canvas.1875

                 

This painting was really interesting to me. I thought Monet did a wonderful job using colors and light to capture this moment.  It sets a setting of a quiet and chilly day along a waterfront. I really had an attachment to this piece. It reminds me of a time when I was younger playing along the lake.

Principles and Elements: Monet uses line and color. The color scheme has lots of blues and grey that reminds one of a cloudy day. Line is used to guide the viewer’s eyes down the shore.

3.) Andre Derain. The Trees. Oil on canvas. 1905

I really connected with this painting because it really represents nature. I thought the trees with the hills in the background really represent the beauty of nature. I also liked how Derain used color to enhance this feeling. The bright colors add another dimension. This was one of my favorites at they gallery.

Principles and elements: Derain makes use of rhythm and color. He uses rhythm by creating a forest of several trees.

Overall, I had an enjoyable time at the gallery. Although the gallery has many interesting works of art, these pieces stood out the most. I look forward to visiting this art gallery again in the future.